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Frank Warren admits he will have to rethink Amir Khan’s route to a world title after the youngster’s impressive victory over Marco Antonio Barrera on Saturday.

The 22-year-old dismantled Mexican legend Barrera to record a fifth-round technical decision victory in Manchester and atone for his shocking knockout defeat by Breidis Prescott in September.

Simply the chest: Amir Khan savours his greatest victory

Khan produced a slick, technically brilliant performance to ensure he was comfortably ahead when the fight was stopped due to a cut above Barrera’s left eye apparently caused by an accidental clash in the first.

Warren had originally planned to set Khan up with a clash against lightweight world champion Nate Campbell before the American failed to make the weight against Ali Funeka last month and was stripped of his IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

But after Khan played his part in getting things back on track, Warren is now able to look at his options.

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‘The shame of it all is Nate Campbell did not make the weight because that was what we were looking at, but Campbell lost his title and that killed it,’ said the promoter.

‘I think Nate Campbell would have been a great fight for Amir, I think he would have beaten him and he would have had three belts then.

‘But that’s gone out of the window and we’re back to the drawing board. We’ll see what’s out there.

‘From my point of view I was really just focused on Amir getting through the Barrera fight and then we can see where we go from here.’

Khan completely outclassed three-weight world champion Barrera, who looked every one of his 35 years.

‘This was a big fight, it was make-or-break for me because if I lost it, forget about Amir Khan,’ he said afterwards.

‘I’ve proved to a lot of people how good I am now and answered the criticism I got.’

And Khan admitted he owed a debt to training partner Manny Pacquiao – the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet – after his victory.

He said: ‘Barrera landed a few left hooks to the body, a few to the head and a few right hands.

‘That’s boxing – it’s going to happen – but I felt so sharp and kept moving. It was the same way Manny beat him. He made it easy, hit him and moved, hit him and moved.

‘When I was speaking to Manny he said that’s the way to beat him – and that’s what we did.

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‘I spoke to him [Pacquiao] in the changing room after the fight – he was watching it in America and he was over the moon. It has paid off by listening to the right people.’

And Khan admitted afterwards he was looking forward to repaying the help given to him by Pacquiao by training alongside the Filipino, who faces Britain’s Ricky Hatton in May.

‘Yes, it does me good as well,’ added the 2004 Olympic silver medallist.

‘He’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world – and if I can handle him and spar really well against him, then it’s going to take me to the next level.

‘I’d love to help him, because he’s a friend. We have a good chat; we go for a run together in the mountains and stuff.

‘He helps me out with some good advice and it’s good to have someone to look up to.’